7 habits that will help prolong a youthful body and mental clarity

Everything in the world is subject to aging – people, animals, plants. If we consider the aging process from the physiological point of view, the organism loses its ability to reproduce and grow.

Ph.D., International Hatha Yoga Instructor

Is it realistic to defeat aging? The progress of biomedical sciences in recent years has shown astonishing results on laboratory animals. Some of them have lived 2-10 times longer than their relatives, including through dietary intervention and physical activity. It is difficult to conduct such scientific experiments on humans. One could say, impossible – to wait for the result of the experiment, it will take many decades. But there are also long-livers among humans. Let’s understand the secrets of their healthy longevity and start today to take steps to improve their health.

It is believed that if a person begins to lead a healthy lifestyle in the first half of his life, it will significantly increase the duration and quality of the second half.

The recipe is simple and known to everyone: refusal of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption (especially strong drinks), regular physical activity, nutritious diet, observance of sleep and rest, absence of serious psychological stresses, “training” of the body’s defenses.

What can help in the fight against aging

Nutrition is the foundation of the basics. “We are what we eat,” said the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates.

The World Health Organization has developed simple recommendations to help prevent obesity: limit the amount of animal fats and sugars you eat, increase the amount of vegetables, fruits and nuts you eat, and get at least 150 minutes a week of any physical activity.

Choose diets that include olive oil, whole grains, fish and other seafood, some cheese, plenty of vegetables, legumes and nuts, red wine, small amounts of red meat and fruits. The quality composition of the food is important.

Keep in mind that eating in catering in most cases is not suitable for adherents of a healthy lifestyle, as the food contains thousands of times more glycation products than home-cooked food, leading to premature aging. Cooking food at temperatures less than 120 degrees prevents the formation of such harmful substances, that is, it is better to use stewing and boiling for cooking.

Do not neglect physical activity. It helps to increase the average life expectancy by many years by reducing the risk of some serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

Those who engage in regular physical activity do not suffer from depression. During exercise, the body produces the chemicals endorphins, often called joy hormones or happy hormones. They improve mood, sleep and even reduce the perception of pain.

What to do? In general it doesn’t matter, the important thing is to do it regularly. You need aerobic exercise three to five times a week for 30-60 minutes and strength training twice a week (complex on the main muscle groups). Aerobic exercise is anything: housework, walking, swimming, running, skating, basketball, and others.

Avoid stress. Women are more susceptible to stress, as a consequence have higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which often leads to diabetes, depression and facial wrinkles. To reduce its levels, you need to be out in nature more often, socialize with pleasant people, meditate and use any available ways to combat stress.

Help your body. Take vitamins. The very name “vitamin”, (vita- in Latin means “life”), indicates the exceptional importance of these compounds for all processes of vital activity of the body. However, do not take them mindlessly, but check the level and select the correct dosage with a specialist.

Protect your skin. Aging and pigmentation of the skin occurs under the influence of the sun or tanning bed. You need to protect your skin from this exposure not only in the summer at the beach, but year-round. When choosing your day cream, pay attention to the protection factor. SPF 30 is optimal.

Find goals. The more complex a person is, the more complex his goals are and the more he needs to direct his processes. He evolves when his processes become more conscious and purposeful. Man evolves when he moves from a simple mental structure to a complex one and degenerates in the opposite direction. This is why we need purpose to develop internal organization and keep the brain active.